A Long, Healthy History – Lorain County Free Clinic

Lorain, Ohio was a booming, industrial city until the devastating economic downturn of the early 1980’s. The shipyard moved out of town and domestic production of steel began to faulter, not only in Lorain, but throughout the country as once thriving communities became known as the rustbelt. Thousands of jobs were lost in Lorain, and the job loses trickled down to the supply industries that were connected to the large manufacturers. Many people with good incomes suddenly found themselves struggling to secure their basic needs.

In 1983, The bishop of The Lutheran Church in America congregations in Ohio, at the urging of local Lutheran pastors, organized a meeting of congregations to discuss ways of assisting the newly poor of the community. Those congregations quickly formed the Lorain County Lutheran Cooperative Ministry, which began distributing cheese and butter that were available from the federal government in March of 1984. Local Presbyterians soon joined the group and over the years Methodists, Episcopalians and United Church of Christ congregations joined the organization, which still runs pantries and hot meal programs in Lorain County.

After its first year of operation, the Cooperative Ministry surveyed its recipients as to their needs beyond food assistance. Not surprisingly, they identified medical care as crucial. Those lost factory jobs had good healthcare benefits that were suddenly gone. It was providential that the congregations of the Cooperative Ministry had several physicians and other medical personnel who were willing to take up the cause. They recruited others in medical and social service professions, and those who could help with fundraising. A clinic task force of the Cooperative Ministry began meeting in 1985, and by March of 1986 the Lorain County Free Clinic was open to people who had no medical insurance and who were living at 150% of the federal poverty level.

‘The Free Clinic always accepts

new patients.

Give us a call at 440-277-6641’ For many years, the home of the Free Clinic was in the basement of Christ Lutheran Church at the corner of 33rd Street and Pearl Avenue, which was converted into a clinic by volunteers that included physicians, clergy and an array of others who had the needed skills. The only paid employee was a part-time coordinator, and all the medical care was and still is provided by volunteer physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers,

dentists, and optometrists. Patients were seen by appointment at the clinic and referred to volunteer specialists as needed. In 1996 and 1997, satellite clinics were opened in Elyria and in Oberlin. A full- time director and additional paid office staff were added to the organization as the client base and range of services grew.

Support from the existing medical